Botswana: Series newsletter 2009-06-13

RECORD ENTRY FOR TOYOTA 1000 DESERT RACE
The Toyota 1000 Desert Race in Botswana this weekend has drawn a record entry of national and regional competitors.
The event is round four of the Absa Off Road Championship and has drawn an entry of 64...

RECORD ENTRY FOR TOYOTA 1000 DESERT RACE

The Toyota 1000 Desert Race in Botswana this weekend has drawn a record entry of national and regional competitors.

The event is round four of the Absa Off Road Championship and has drawn an entry of 64 cars in the national championship category. A further 22 entries in the Northern Regions Off Road Championship swell the overall number of entries to a record 86 cars.

"We are delighted and the response from national and regional competitors again demonstrates that off road racing is in a healthy state," said Motorsport SA Off Road Racing Commission president Richard Schilling. "Particularly pleasing is the high number of regional competitors who have entered what is perhaps the toughest event on the calendar.

"That demonstrates that the Toyota 1000 Desert Race has lost none of its glamour."

Among the top regional competitors who have entered are current Special Vehicle category leader Wolf-Peter Pfumfei in a singleseater WP/VW and closest challengers Gustav Pienaar/MJ le Roux (VW Sandmaster) and veteran former South African champion Giel Nel and Deon de Kock (Zarco Magnum) who, until this season, were regular competitors in the national series.

Among the Production Vehicle entries are second placed Hennie Lemmer and Dawie Langer (Toyota Hilux) and Chris and Anneline van Jaarsveld in a Ford Ranger. Championship leaders Rob Reid and Bodo Schwegler have decided to give the race a miss.

An interesting entry is that of Paris/Dakar Rally quad bike hero Vicus van Deventer and Michiel le Roux in the ex JoJo Tanks VW Beetle 4x4. The car is powered by a Volvo engine and was a favourite with crowds in years gone by.

The event will again be spectator friendly with 14 designated spectator points along the route. These are best arrived at using GPS co-ordinates which will be available at race headquarters at Game City in Gaborone.

The race starts on Friday, 19 June at 13:00 with the prologue to determine start positions. The race proper will start at Game City on Saturday at 08h00 with the finish back at the Gaborone complex on Sunday afternoon.